Scout's pavilion project was anything but a picnic

Charlie Enck, son of Barry and Joy Enck of Loysville, created a more user-friendly community eating and meeting place at the Loysville Community Park grounds.

A member of Troop 73 of Landisburg, Enck earned his Eagle Scout Award by sprucing up the park's picnic pavilion. He determined it was a worthwhile project after receiving positive feedback and support from Joyce Williams of the Loysville Community Club and Brian Campbell, Tyrone Twp. supervisor.

"The tables were run down and uncomfortable," said Enck, 18. "Once used for bingo, the tables sat on a gravel stone base that had about a one foot drop-off at the one side.'

"The township offered to supply the stone needed to fill in the area where needed and to level if off for him," said Campbell.

A big part of Enck's project started with the need to raise enough funding to do the revisions. "I went to local businesses and asked for donations. I collected a total of $2,450.'

Once funding was in place, Enck arranged for J.C. Reapsome to replace the old gravel base by pouring and leveling a new cement floor. He also ordered 12 picnic tables at a 10 percent discount from Lowe's of Carlisle.

The Scout thanks his parents, fellow Scouts Ian and Scott Switaj of Shermans Dale, Tony Jeffries of Blain, Jeremy Rice of Newport, Eric Smith and Jan Reapsome of Loysville, and Dennis Haag, John Martin and Joyce Williams of Loysville for their help in assembling the picnic tables.

After the tables were together, Enck attached the table legs to the cement base using bent iron and anchors.

"Charlie also reused some of the wood from the old tables to make a shelf area that can be used as a buffet table," said Campbell. "There are plans to install a row of electrical outlets so people can plug in Crock-Pots and other electrical appliances.'

By project's end, Enck had invested 85 hours in the renovated pavilion.

"I saw it was being used pretty much every day for the first couple of weeks," said Enck. "I feel petty good about that.'

The hardest part of the project, he noted, was the securing of the donations. "I spent about five or six hours visiting each person who donated money to the project.'

His greatest supporters were his parents, whom he said kept pushing him to finish the project.

"I'm relieved it's done," he said. "It was an important goal of mine and it was all worth it.

"The thing I learned the most was how to be a leader.'

"The old bingo tables were too high to sit comfortably," said Campbell. "Charlie did a great job of making the whole pavilion much more usable for events like family reunions and club gatherings.